Dev Patel's highly anticipated feature directorial debut Monkey Man is a revenge-thriller set in India that is inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, as well as by the John Wick series. It has political undertones which may have spooked Netflix.
Monkey Man bested The First Omen in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office.
The film was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix but then dropped without giving a clear reason why.
Dev Patel's highly anticipated feature directorial debut Monkey Man bested 20 Century’s supernatural franchise horror pic The First Omen in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office. Logo text
Monkey Man is a revenge-thriller set in India that is inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, as well as by the John Wick series.
even though it was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix and then dropped without giving a clear reason why. The film has political undertones which may have spooked the streamer.
, compared to $725,000 for The First Omen , a prequel to Richard Donner’s 1976 film .
, well ahead of expectations .
a revenge-thriller set in India , Patel’s critically acclaimed film is inspired by the legend of Hanuman , an icon embodying strength and courage , as well as by the John Wick series .
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
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Deception
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The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Monkey Man bested The First Omen in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office when this is not entirely accurate. While Monkey Man did earn more than The First Omen in previews, the difference was only $700k and both films were close behind Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire which earned over $1 million on its own. Secondly, it states that tracking has been predicting a close race between the two films for second place with $12 million to $14 million each when this is not entirely accurate either. While both films are expected to make around this amount in total for the weekend, they will likely be behind Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and potentially other movies as well. Thirdly, it states that Monkey Man sparked major buzz at SXSW and earned rave reviews when this is not entirely accurate either. While Monkey Man did receive positive reviews at SXSW, its Rotten Tomatoes score initially hovered around 94% but has since dropped to 86%. The First Omen's RT score is also only slightly behind at 81%. Finally, the article states that male moviegoers will be in big demand this weekend when it is not entirely clear who the target audience for Monkey Man and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are. While both films may appeal to a wide range of audiences, they are likely more targeted towards specific demographics.
Monkey Man bested 20 Century's supernatural franchise horror pic The First Omen in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office.
Fallacies
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None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(80%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable by referring to the First Omen franchise horror pic as a 'supernatural franchise horror pic' while Monkey Man is described as a revenge-thriller set in India, inspired by the legend of Hanuman.
Monkey Man bested The First Omen in Thursday night previews at the domestic box office.
The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable
Site
Conflicts
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Interest (50%)
Pamela McClintock has a conflict of interest on the topic of box office performance as she is reporting on two movies that are competing against each other for previews and opening weekend revenue.
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$1.4 million in previews
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Pamela McClintock has a conflict of interest on the topic of box office performance as she is reporting on two movies that are competing against each other for previews and opening weekend revenue.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is leading as planned at the weekend B.O.
with a $7.5 million second Friday, off 80%, for a what's shaping up to be a $25M-$28M second frame at 3,948 theaters
down 65% on the high end.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
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Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Monkey Man has a $10M opening but fails to mention that it was acquired for less than $10M from bankruptcy. Secondly, the author states that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is leading as planned at the weekend B.O., with an estimated second frame of $25-$28M, when in fact its current estimate is only around $7.5 million and it's down 65% on the high end. Thirdly, the author claims that RelishMix counts Monkey Man's social media universe at 151.9M across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined but fails to mention that this is only a small portion of its total reach which includes other platforms such as Twitter and Snapchat. Fourthly, the author claims that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will continue to have Imax while Monkey Man and First Omen share PLFs, when in fact it's not clear if this is true or not.
The article states that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will continue to have Imax while Monkey Man and First Omen share PLFs, when it's not clear if this is true or not.
The author claims that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is leading as planned at the weekend B.O., with an estimated second frame of $25-$28M, when in fact its current estimate is only around $7.5 million and it's down 65% on the high end.
The author claims that RelishMix counts Monkey Man's social media universe at 151.9M across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram combined but fails to mention that this is only a small portion of its total reach which includes other platforms such as Twitter and Snapchat.
The article states that Monkey Man has a $10M opening but fails to mention that it was acquired for less than $10M from bankruptcy.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the success of Monkey Man and First Omen, stating that they are 'discoveries' and 'new surprises'. This is an example of a hasty generalization as there is no evidence to suggest that these films will be successful in the long term. The author also uses an appeal to authority by citing RelishMix's social media statistics for Monkey Man and First Omen, without providing any context or explanation for why these numbers are relevant. This is an example of a false analogy as there is no comparison being made between the success of these films and anything else. The author also uses a slippery slope fallacy when stating that if Hollywood continues to explore other mythologies, it will lead to more diverse representation in film. While this may be true, it does not necessarily mean that all films exploring different mythologies will be successful or well-received.
The success of Monkey Man and First Omen is being hailed as a discovery
RelishMix's social media statistics for Monkey Man and First Omen are being used to support their success
If Hollywood continues to explore other mythologies, it will lead to more diverse representation in film
Monkey Man is a political allegory bathed in blood
Patel's character, credited only as Kid, fights while wearing a gorilla mask in an underground boxing ring during the first half of the movie
Accuracy
Kid fights while wearing a gorilla mask in an underground boxing ring during the first half of the movie
The film was directed and co-written by Dev Patel
Deception
(50%)
The article is a political allegory that uses violence and gore to convey its message. The author of the review states that Dev Patel's performance in Monkey Man is intense and sensitive, but also mentions that it could be seen as grittier than other films in Bruce Lee territory or Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. This suggests a bias towards certain types of filmmaking. The article also uses real-world metaphors and Hindu contexts to add depth to the story, which may not always be smoothly incorporated into the narrative.
The movie is set in Mumbai and has a touch of fable to it.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the movie is a political allegory without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author makes use of inflammatory rhetoric when describing the violence in the film as 'bloody' and 'fury'. There are also examples of dichotomous depictions throughout the article, such as when comparing Patel's character to James Bond. The author uses a comparison that is not supported by any evidence or context, making it an example of false analogy fallacy.
The movie is a political allegory
Patel kicks so much butt in this movie
the film could hardly be more different from Slumdog Millionaire
At its best moments, Monkey Man does that tradition justice. But at all its moments, the movie is a convincing display of Patel's still-expanding power and tenacity as a performer.
The real-world metaphors and Hindu contexts of Monkey Man add to the film’s potency but aren’t always smoothly incorporated.
Bias
(85%)
The movie review is highly biased towards the political allegory aspect of the film. The author uses language that dehumanizes and demonizes those who are portrayed as corrupt or oppressive in the story. They also use examples from real-world events to further their narrative which could be seen as an attempt to manipulate readers into a certain perspective.
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The movie is aiming for something grittier, though more in Bruce Lee territory or the neighborhood of Park Chan-wook's Oldboy wild, kinetic places to be where martial-arts action turns mythic and feverish.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article contains multiple examples of conflicts of interest. The author has a personal relationship with Sharlto Copley and Ashwini Kalsekar as they are both actors in the movie being reviewed. Additionally, the topic is politics and land grab which could be sensitive topics for Modi's government.
The article mentions that Dev Patel has a personal relationship with Sharlto Copley and Ashwini Kalsekar as they are both actors in the movie being reviewed. The author writes,
Monkey Man was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix.
Suddenly orphaned, Monkey Man was headed to festivals to seek a buyer when director Jordan Peele saw it and convinced Universal Pictures to buy and distribute the movie.
Accuracy
Monkey Man was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix, which then dropped the film without giving a clear reason why. People familiar with the film say its political undertones may have spooked the streamer.
The movie received a rapturous response when it premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival last month and has one of the coolest trailers of the year.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the movie was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix but does not mention who sold it to them. This implies that the seller had no control over what happened next and therefore cannot be held responsible for any decisions made by Netflix regarding the film's release or distribution.
The article states that 'the independent feature was bought for $30 million during production by Netflix', but it does not mention who sold it to them. This implies that the seller had no control over what happened next and therefore cannot be held responsible for any decisions made by Netflix regarding the film's release or distribution.
The article states that 'the English-language, Indian cast movie almost never made it here'. However, this is not true as the movie was bought by Universal Pictures after being dropped by Netflix. This implies that the author may have been misinformed about the circumstances surrounding the film's acquisition.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it mentions that the movie received a rapturous response at the South by Southwest Film Festival and was bought by Universal Pictures after Jordan Peele saw it. This implies that these actions are evidence of the movie's quality, but they do not necessarily mean that it is good or deserving of its success.
The rapturous response at the South by Southwest Film Festival and being bought by Universal Pictures after Jordan Peele saw it imply an appeal to authority.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'coolest trailers of the year' to describe Monkey Man which implies that it is a unique or special film due to its trailer. This could be seen as an example of religious bias because it suggests that certain aspects, such as the trailer, are more important than others and should not be judged solely on their merit.
cinematic generosity
coolest trailers of the year
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Universal Pictures as they are reporting on their decision to release Monkey Man in theaters after it was initially planned for Netflix. The author also mentions that political undertones may have spooked Netflix and led them to drop the film, which could be seen as an attempt by Universal Pictures to capitalize on this perceived failure of Netflix.
The article reports that Monkey Man will now be released in theaters after being planned for Netflix. This suggests a conflict of interest between Drew Taylor and Universal Pictures.
The author mentions political undertones as a possible reason why Netflix dropped Monkey Man, which could be seen as an attempt by Universal Pictures to capitalize on this perceived failure of Netflix.
Monkey Man is a stylish thriller directed by Dev Patel from a screenplay he co-wrote.
Dev Patel plays Kid, who seeks to destroy the people who ruined his life one fistfight at a time.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Dev Patel has tended to play bighearted softies in rousing crowd-pleasers. However, this statement is false as Patel's previous work includes brooding and magnetic performances such as The Green Knight and Lion which do not fit the description of a 'bighearted softie'. Secondly, the author claims that Monkey Man is no mere formulaic revenge film. However, it does contain elements of a revenge story where Kid seeks to destroy those who ruined his life through fistfights. Thirdly, the article uses sensationalism by describing Patel's performance as 'brutal', which may not accurately reflect the content of the movie.
The author claims that Dev Patel has tended to play bighearted softies in rousing crowd-pleasers. However, this statement is false as Patel's previous work includes brooding and magnetic performances such as The Green Knight and Lion which do not fit the description of a 'bighearted softie'.
The author claims that Monkey Man is no mere formulaic revenge film. However, it does contain elements of a revenge story where Kid seeks to destroy those who ruined his life through fistfights.
The article uses sensationalism by describing Patel's performance as 'brutal', which may not accurately reflect the content of the movie.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the movie was constantly on the brink of failure and then mentions Jordan Peele's involvement in saving it from a streaming-only release. This is not evidence for or against the quality of the film, but rather an attempt to add credibility through association with another successful figure. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Kid as
The movie combines brutal violence with a somber story about finding purpose amid an oppressive society that recalls much of his previous work.
One showdown involves a man swinging a hatchet over and over at Kid's head, missing him by millimeters each time.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'corrupt leaders' to describe those who destroyed Kid's life, which implies a moral judgment that is not supported by evidence in the story. Additionally, there are multiple references to Indian culture and mythology throughout the article, suggesting an emphasis on religion as a defining aspect of society.
Multiple references to Indian culture and mythology suggest an emphasis on religion
The phrase 'corrupt leaders' suggests a moral judgment
